Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This flaw lets a read-only web-console user change device configuration on affected Moxa NPort serial device servers. For operations teams, the concern is unauthorized configuration drift in equipment that may bridge serial devices into industrial networks. The sources do not provide CVSS scoring or evidence of active exploitation.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation where these devices support production or safety-sensitive operations, or where web-console access is not tightly limited. The issue is not documented as actively exploited in the supplied sources, but unauthorized configuration changes can create operational disruption.
Technical view
CVE-2020-27149 is an authorization weakness in the web console: a user assigned “Read Only” privileges can still send requests that change device configuration. The affected set in the source bundle includes NPort IA5150A/IA5250A before 1.5 and NPort 5450 before 2.0, with web console enabled.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely where affected NPort devices have the web console enabled and read-only accounts exist. Risk increases if the management interface is reachable beyond tightly controlled administration networks. The provided sources do not identify internet-wide exposure or affected deployments.
Exploitation context
The vulnerability requires access to the web console as a read-only user, based on the CVE description. CISA KEV status is false in the bundle, and no cited source here states active exploitation. Treat exploit status as unconfirmed, not absent.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited: no CVSS, CWE, proof-of-exploit status, or detailed technical root cause is included in the bundle. The key validated facts are affected versions, web-console involvement, and privilege bypass from read-only to configuration-changing behavior.
Mitigation direction
- Update NPort IA5150A/IA5250A devices to version 1.5 or later.
- Update listed NPort 5450 devices to version 2.0 or later.
- Restrict web-console access to trusted management networks.
- Review vendor advisory guidance before making operational changes.
- Audit read-only accounts and remove unnecessary access.
Validation and detection
- Inventory NPort IA5150A, IA5250A, and listed NPort 5450 devices.
- Check whether each device has the web console enabled.
- Record firmware versions and compare against fixed versions.
- Review administrative accounts with read-only privileges.
- Confirm management interfaces are not broadly reachable.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CVE-2020-27149 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://ics-cert.kaspersky.com/advisories/klcert-advisories/2021/05/11/klcert-20-018%2CCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.moxa.com/en/support/product-support/security-advisory/nport-ia5000a-serial-device-servers-vulnerabilitiesCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.